What should you never mix with bleach?

The correct response is that bleach should never be mixed with ammonia. When bleach and ammonia are combined, they create toxic chloramine vapors, which can lead to serious respiratory issues and other health hazards. This reaction generates fumes that are dangerous to inhale, posing a significant risk in any setting, especially in environments where people are present.

In contrast, mixing bleach with water is a common practice to dilute the solution for safe use as a disinfectant. It is often recommended to use one part bleach to ten parts water for effective cleaning and disinfection without causing harm.

Detergents can be safely mixed with bleach under certain circumstances, but care must be taken to ensure that the detergent does not contain ammonia, as this would lead to the aforementioned dangerous reaction. Lastly, mixing bleach with alcohol is also discouraged because it can produce chloroform, another potentially harmful compound.

Understanding these interactions is critical for maintaining safety in any environment where cleaning and disinfecting agents are used.